Can brain damaged Canadians design electronics?
in [Design]
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From: Michael A. Terrell on 27 Apr 2010 23:50 "Michael A. Terrell" wrote: > > JosephKK wrote: > > > > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:51:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" > > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > > > > > > > >JosephKK wrote: > > >> > > >> Michael A. Terrell wrote: > > >> > > > >> > I never submitted them to a publisher. I'm trying to find the disks, > > >> >and hope that I can still read them. I might just put them on Lulu,com > > >> >or one of my wesites as a free Ebook if I can find them, and convert > > >> >them to plain text files. I also did a little artwork for the storyline > > >> >that may still be in my files. > > >> > > > >> > It is a trilogy that covers a little obver 200 years. It's a mix of > > >> >'50s space opera, Good VS Evil and comedy. > > >> > > >> Cool. If you can find the media, but cannot rescue the content I would > > >> like to try. I would even consider paying for a professional service out > > >> of my own pocket in order for you to have them back. > > > > > > > > > Does anyone still do that with Commodore 1581, 3.5" disks? I've > > >found my Commodore 128D computer that I converted from an internal 1571 > > >to a 1581 drive. Now, I need a working CGA monitor. I think I still > > >have a IBM PC Jr. monitor in storage. I converted a bunch of them to > > >standard CGA mode about 20 years ago. That still leaves finding the > > >couple floppies, out of close to 10,000 3.5 inch disks. :( > > > > I think so, i was unaware that Commodore had ever gotten to 3.5" > > diskettes. I have utilities that can read sectors form both 5.25" and > > 3.5" drives. Of course turning that data into something useful may take > > some more work. > > Yes, it is stored in Commodre screen codes rather than ASCII. It was > written with a program called Speedscript. > > Commodre used 512 byte sectors to store two normal Commodore 128 byte ^^^ 256 > sectors, and the firmware converted them in and out. They used a WDC > 1770 FDC chip, which was a rare chip. There were utilities to convert > to & from IBM format. Programs like 'Big Blue Reader', and a couple > freeware programs that had to be typed into the computer with a text to > binary conversion program, then saved to a floppy.
From: JosephKK on 28 Apr 2010 23:48 On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:50:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >"Michael A. Terrell" wrote: >> >> JosephKK wrote: >> > >> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:51:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" >> > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: >> > >> > > >> > >JosephKK wrote: >> > >> >> > >> Michael A. Terrell wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > I never submitted them to a publisher. I'm trying to find the disks, >> > >> >and hope that I can still read them. I might just put them on Lulu,com >> > >> >or one of my wesites as a free Ebook if I can find them, and convert >> > >> >them to plain text files. I also did a little artwork for the storyline >> > >> >that may still be in my files. >> > >> > >> > >> > It is a trilogy that covers a little obver 200 years. It's a mix of >> > >> >'50s space opera, Good VS Evil and comedy. >> > >> >> > >> Cool. If you can find the media, but cannot rescue the content I would >> > >> like to try. I would even consider paying for a professional service out >> > >> of my own pocket in order for you to have them back. >> > > >> > > >> > > Does anyone still do that with Commodore 1581, 3.5" disks? I've >> > >found my Commodore 128D computer that I converted from an internal 1571 >> > >to a 1581 drive. Now, I need a working CGA monitor. I think I still >> > >have a IBM PC Jr. monitor in storage. I converted a bunch of them to >> > >standard CGA mode about 20 years ago. That still leaves finding the >> > >couple floppies, out of close to 10,000 3.5 inch disks. :( >> > >> > I think so, i was unaware that Commodore had ever gotten to 3.5" >> > diskettes. I have utilities that can read sectors form both 5.25" and >> > 3.5" drives. Of course turning that data into something useful may take >> > some more work. >> >> Yes, it is stored in Commodre screen codes rather than ASCII. It was >> written with a program called Speedscript. >> >> Commodre used 512 byte sectors to store two normal Commodore 128 byte > ^^^ > 256 >> sectors, and the firmware converted them in and out. They used a WDC >> 1770 FDC chip, which was a rare chip. There were utilities to convert >> to & from IBM format. Programs like 'Big Blue Reader', and a couple >> freeware programs that had to be typed into the computer with a text to >> binary conversion program, then saved to a floppy. I can probably dig up an emulator for the Commodore 128; would you happen to have a copy of Speedscript as well? IIRC the on diskette formats for the WDC 1770 were pretty compatible. Certainly not much worse than HP's LIF (256 byte sectors) and i have a converter for that.
From: Michael A. Terrell on 29 Apr 2010 00:58 JosephKK wrote: > > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:50:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > > > > >"Michael A. Terrell" wrote: > >> > >> JosephKK wrote: > >> > > >> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:51:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" > >> > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >> > > >> > > > >> > >JosephKK wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >> Michael A. Terrell wrote: > >> > >> > > >> > >> > I never submitted them to a publisher. I'm trying to find the disks, > >> > >> >and hope that I can still read them. I might just put them on Lulu,com > >> > >> >or one of my wesites as a free Ebook if I can find them, and convert > >> > >> >them to plain text files. I also did a little artwork for the storyline > >> > >> >that may still be in my files. > >> > >> > > >> > >> > It is a trilogy that covers a little obver 200 years. It's a mix of > >> > >> >'50s space opera, Good VS Evil and comedy. > >> > >> > >> > >> Cool. If you can find the media, but cannot rescue the content I would > >> > >> like to try. I would even consider paying for a professional service out > >> > >> of my own pocket in order for you to have them back. > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > Does anyone still do that with Commodore 1581, 3.5" disks? I've > >> > >found my Commodore 128D computer that I converted from an internal 1571 > >> > >to a 1581 drive. Now, I need a working CGA monitor. I think I still > >> > >have a IBM PC Jr. monitor in storage. I converted a bunch of them to > >> > >standard CGA mode about 20 years ago. That still leaves finding the > >> > >couple floppies, out of close to 10,000 3.5 inch disks. :( > >> > > >> > I think so, i was unaware that Commodore had ever gotten to 3.5" > >> > diskettes. I have utilities that can read sectors form both 5.25" and > >> > 3.5" drives. Of course turning that data into something useful may take > >> > some more work. > >> > >> Yes, it is stored in Commodre screen codes rather than ASCII. It was > >> written with a program called Speedscript. > >> > >> Commodre used 512 byte sectors to store two normal Commodore 128 byte > > ^^^ > > 256 > >> sectors, and the firmware converted them in and out. They used a WDC > >> 1770 FDC chip, which was a rare chip. There were utilities to convert > >> to & from IBM format. Programs like 'Big Blue Reader', and a couple > >> freeware programs that had to be typed into the computer with a text to > >> binary conversion program, then saved to a floppy. > > I can probably dig up an emulator for the Commodore 128; would you happen > to have a copy of Speedscript as well? IIRC the on diskette formats for > the WDC 1770 were pretty compatible. Certainly not much worse than HP's > LIF (256 byte sectors) and i have a converter for that. I had dozens of copies of Speedscript. Both C64 & C128 versions. I just have to find the disks and see what is still good. There are Commodore emulator programs for the C64, and Speedscript was published in a magazine. It is probably available as an image to run on the emulator. There was a parallel port to Commodre serial bus cable to let you use standard Commodore drives with a PC based emulator. At one time I converted files for people who were moving from a Commodore computer to early PCs. -- Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.
From: JosephKK on 29 Apr 2010 23:18
On Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:58:12 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >JosephKK wrote: >> >> On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:50:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" >> <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: >> >> > >> >"Michael A. Terrell" wrote: >> >> >> >> JosephKK wrote: >> >> > >> >> > On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:51:07 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell" >> >> > <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: >> >> > >> >> > > >> >> > >JosephKK wrote: >> >> > >> >> >> > >> Michael A. Terrell wrote: >> >> > >> > >> >> > >> > I never submitted them to a publisher. I'm trying to find the disks, >> >> > >> >and hope that I can still read them. I might just put them on Lulu,com >> >> > >> >or one of my wesites as a free Ebook if I can find them, and convert >> >> > >> >them to plain text files. I also did a little artwork for the storyline >> >> > >> >that may still be in my files. >> >> > >> > >> >> > >> > It is a trilogy that covers a little obver 200 years. It's a mix of >> >> > >> >'50s space opera, Good VS Evil and comedy. >> >> > >> >> >> > >> Cool. If you can find the media, but cannot rescue the content I would >> >> > >> like to try. I would even consider paying for a professional service out >> >> > >> of my own pocket in order for you to have them back. >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > Does anyone still do that with Commodore 1581, 3.5" disks? I've >> >> > >found my Commodore 128D computer that I converted from an internal 1571 >> >> > >to a 1581 drive. Now, I need a working CGA monitor. I think I still >> >> > >have a IBM PC Jr. monitor in storage. I converted a bunch of them to >> >> > >standard CGA mode about 20 years ago. That still leaves finding the >> >> > >couple floppies, out of close to 10,000 3.5 inch disks. :( >> >> > >> >> > I think so, i was unaware that Commodore had ever gotten to 3.5" >> >> > diskettes. I have utilities that can read sectors form both 5.25" and >> >> > 3.5" drives. Of course turning that data into something useful may take >> >> > some more work. >> >> >> >> Yes, it is stored in Commodre screen codes rather than ASCII. It was >> >> written with a program called Speedscript. >> >> >> >> Commodre used 512 byte sectors to store two normal Commodore 128 byte >> > ^^^ >> > 256 >> >> sectors, and the firmware converted them in and out. They used a WDC >> >> 1770 FDC chip, which was a rare chip. There were utilities to convert >> >> to & from IBM format. Programs like 'Big Blue Reader', and a couple >> >> freeware programs that had to be typed into the computer with a text to >> >> binary conversion program, then saved to a floppy. >> >> I can probably dig up an emulator for the Commodore 128; would you happen >> to have a copy of Speedscript as well? IIRC the on diskette formats for >> the WDC 1770 were pretty compatible. Certainly not much worse than HP's >> LIF (256 byte sectors) and i have a converter for that. > > > I had dozens of copies of Speedscript. Both C64 & C128 versions. I >just have to find the disks and see what is still good. There are >Commodore emulator programs for the C64, and Speedscript was published >in a magazine. It is probably available as an image to run on the >emulator. There was a parallel port to Commodre serial bus cable to let >you use standard Commodore drives with a PC based emulator. > > At one time I converted files for people who were moving from a >Commodore computer to early PCs. Cool, you may have everything you need lying around. Just have to find it. I will look for Speedscript online. That didn't take long. |